Jarrett, Trey eye major tests

It is business as usual at Bartlesville’s Team Rouse fight gym — busy and intense training for upcoming bouts.

“We’re training every day,” said the gym’s owner/operator Randy Rouse. “Jarrett (Rouse) is working five days a week.”

Jarrett — who has split his time the past three years between boxing and kickboxing — is preparing for a key kickboxing showdown April 6 in Tulsa.

Fellow Team Rouse warriors D.J. White and Jeremy Thomas likely will be on the same fight card, Randy added.

In addition, Trey Lippe-Morrison — who has trained extensively in spurts during the years at Team Rouse and is the son of former heavyweight king Tommy Morrison — is revving up for his first action in the ring since December 2016.

Sidelined by a hand injury, the unbeaten Lippe-Morrison (13-0, 13 KOs/TKOs) is finally ready to resume his promising career in the heavyweight ranks.

He is scheduled to fight tonight in Deadwood, S.D., against Oswaldo Ortega.

“He’s a tough journeyman from Mexico,” Randy said about Ortega. “But, a journeyman from Mexico is a whole lot different than a journeyman here. … This will be a good comeback fight for Trey. From what I understand he’s training really well.”

Randy spoke last week with Lippe-Morrison.

“He told me he feels good. His hand has healed up and he’s been sparring. I think this is a highly-anticipated fight.”

Well-respected trainer Dr. Tom “Verge” Virgets has been working with Trey — a situation that encourages Randy.

“He is Tommy Morrison’s old trainer,” explained Randy. “He’s one of the best on the planet. We’ve trained with him some. He helped Brenda (Rouse) when Brenda was training. He has a doctorate in everything that is related.”

Virgets also is a senior associate athletic director for the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, Randy said.

While Trey is set to jump back on the path of opportunity, his younger half-brother Kenzie Morrison — who once lived in Bartlesville for two years while training at Team Rouse — might have to wait a bit longer to climb back between the ropes.

Morrison, who also is undefeated as a heavyweight (13-0-2), “came down here this past week to tune up,” said Randy. “We worked with him Monday night. But, later that night, his promoter cancelled his fight.”

Morrison has registered four-straight wins, including a unanimous decision on Jan. 20 against Ronny Hale, at the Grove Civic Center.

But, Randy’s primary focus is on his son Jarrett and the rest of the Team Rouse stable.

Jarrett is preparing to take on an opponent from St. Louis in the April 6 fight show, which is being put on by Apollo Cook and will be held at the River Spirit Casino.

“He fights a little heavier at 158,” Randy said about Jarrett’s opponent. “He’ll come down to 145 to fight Jarrett. I think it will be a win for us.”

Jarrett also is undefeated (10-0-1) in the welterweight pro boxing ranks, in which he participated from August 2014 through December 2016.

An injury hindered his boxing pursuits, but in the past Randy hasn’t ruled out that Jarrett might return again to stand-up boxing competition.

Two other gym members looking strong are Fernando Fabian and Maria Hart, Rouse said.